Lux Aeterna

Been listening a lot to Lux Aeterna this weekend (the Bielefeld recording), took a few listens for it to sit (a good sign) and then, BAM! what a song. All the different sections are great, not least the chorus (hits the sweet spot on par w Lacuna/Sunrise in my ears, on record w good sound: can’t wait). “Big melody”. The middle part is mind blowing. And Thomas is on fire. Wow. He’s got what’s needed, and I think they all feel it — MP seems more alive and potent than in ... a long time.

What a constellation MP v3.0 (roughly counting) is. 2019 will be good!

A slightly disturbing/interesting fact regarding the title: The song Breivik listened to during his shooting spree was called Lux Aeterna, “eternal light”, and in his warped interpretation, about good vs evil. It’s also an age old term from catholic liturgy, set to music before, which I guess Breivik shouldn’t be allowed to “steal”. I don’t know if this is a comment on that by MP, though they must surely be aware of this fact. At the same time, with lyrics like “it ends today, take the pain away, there’s nothing left for anyone to say“ it really doesn’t seem to be commenting on 22 July at all. So perhaps a coincidence (though I could only decipher these few lines, the whole lyrics might give a more complex interpretation). It’s also “just” a title (though a bit unlucky if not intended?). Or maybe I’m reading way too much into it. But a great song all the same.

The idea of (spiritual) salvation is at the core of almost all religious and spiritual systems. The idea of absolute, healing light - a central human perception.

Where there is light there is also shadow in the human world - so it is no wonder almost all salvation ideas have been captured by dictators, terrorists, religiously motivated murderers and so on. It is therefore quite natural that a radical maniac like Breivik also refers to that.
Nevertheless - there's no reason at all to link Motorphsycho to such a kind of distorted spirituality. Leave that to the manic christian fundamentalists...

As I have posted earlier, LUX AETERNA is also the title of a musical piece by Ligeti, used in the final part of the soundtrack of 2001 - A Space Odyssey. Furthermore it is part of the catholic mass, a prayer for the eternal light to shine for the soul after death. Only a corrupted fundamentalist logic could refer to killing in order to serve this spiritual light.

When Motorpsycho comment on current events or issues they keep it rather abstract and metaphoric - an approach I prefer a lot over direct statements. Ocassionally there are more or less obvious hints, e.g. ship of fools, but it's always universally valid so that the art stays independent from what it refers to, or might refer to.

Regarding the "possible" Lux Aeterna/Breivik-Link, I am not familiar with the crime beyond what was in the media, but maybe it is not so contradictory to link it to the end of 2001 after all. I always understood the final scene of the movie, as a metaphor of man being eager to get beyond its mere existence, eventually approaching the insurmountable frontier that is his mortality/insignificance. The idea being that acts of evil and perfidy in massacres, like the one on Utøya, or any other genocide work as an allegory to some sort of approach to the edges of humanity, putting that insignifance and minuteness on display. "there’s nothing left for anyone to say"...what do you say after such a thing happened? So, that's us? This is what humans do? Fuck.

Might be a bit of a stretch, and a rather somber take admittedly, but that was my first uneducated guess. Maybe the whole lyrics and the context of the album will bring some revelation.

I guess the only thing we have to go on in terms of 'context of the album' is the Bob LeBad statement that came out a month or so bacck, which stated, among other things: "The band challenged their compositional skills and pushed the envelope the whole way, and even came up with engaged and fitting lyrical themes in the ancient greek tradition: war, death, politics and octopi."

Besides the psychosophical dabblings, I definitely need to correct my verdict upon first listen live, stating that the song structure was messy. Complete BS! LA is total beauty! Perfectly arranged, sublime harmonies, you name it. It has everything I love about the band! Potential classic!

@ marc: O.K. - I see the Breivik connection now. Had been thinking of the "Satanic Motorpscho" accusement made by that stupid christian site. But in the context you point out it could well be a reference to the Utøya massacre. We'll probably have to wait until the album is released to find out.
Funny though that the fundamentalist Breivik connection was discovered here at almost the same time as the song's live debut. Another synchronicity?

A classic indeed 👌 What a heart-melting melody. How they do it again and again I don’t know. Sorcery?

And Marc, Johnny, Punj, I agree on your takes. It will be exciting to get this record. And I believe the Utøya connection is a wild stretch, although it was a thing here in Norway, this freaks music taste and everything, in all the papers, in the court case, that he used certain songs to “motivate” himself. Dark. “His” Lux Aeterna was not the 2001 one though, but from the soundtrack of “Requiem for a Dream”. Not sure if it’s the same one. Anyway. I was uncertain if I should point this fact out, as I sort of doubt MP would comment on such a thing, in this way. But who knows. We’re in for a dark record though, I’m pretty sure. And a good one, I’m very sure, after this first sample.

I think Lux Aeterna will be the epic centerpiece of the next album.
Its potential shines through; I had the same feeling after experiencing the debut early
version of Lacuna/Sunrise @ the Oslo gig in 2014. And that studio version topped
my expectations big time!

As for the subject matter: It has never been Motorpsycho's MO to be so straightforward and blatant about certain events in their lyrics. So I also have strong doubts about the Utøya connection in the title and some of the lyrics.

And slightly OT: I see Lux Aeterna and Requiem For A Dream has been mentioned. If you have the stomach for it, you should see RFAD. One of the most brutal and harrowing movies about drug addiction I've ever seen. And the Lux Aeterna theme by Clint Mansell/Kronos Quartet is the main theme of that movie.

"Well, Henry, what do you know...", to quote David Lynch (Eraserhead). Looking for clues, but the beauty of a mystery is often spoiled by an explanation. To me it's all clear now, listened to the Another Ugly EP and 'Summertime is here' came along...of course! It's Larry! Larry LUX, remember?
Meanwhile looking forward to Nijmegen gig 8/12, awaiting the hours and counting the days!

@marc: NO. You misunderstood. If you read the start of the thread, I was only speculating if MP somehow knew about this reference. If it was a comment (which I doubt) or a coincidence (which I believe). Nothing big.

@Bartok: Thanks for clarification! That's the great thing about true art. It is universal and you can project it onto whatever you like. The grand topics life/death, mythology, specific incidents like the one mentioned here, personal eyperience.

Meanwhile, over at Instagram: Yesterday, which was mother's day in Norway, Bent posted a photo of his mother, who died of cancer half a year ago. He used several hash-tags, including "eviglys" and "eternallight". Could the song be about his mother?